Medical research has shown that cardiovascular diseases are closely linked to the metabolism of lipids, and hyperlipemia is one of the major reasons of arteriosclerosis, particularly the increase in total cholesterol of serum indicates atherosclerosis at risk. Blood lipids, being a general term of various lipids in the serum, mainly includes: cholesterol, triglyceride, and phospholipids, and the like, together with small amount of free fatty acids (FFA) and minute quantity of other substances, such as lipsoluble vitamins, steroid hormones, and the like. Two-third of the cholesterol exist as cholesterol esters, the other one-third present themselves as free cholesterol.
At present, the number of hyperlipemia population is growing due to the substantial change of people's diet resulting from the rapidly economic development, as well as the change of factors of social psychology resulting from the rapid rhythm of lifestyle. The markedly major hypolipidemic medicines include statins (Lovastatin, Simvastatin, Pravachol and Fluvastatin) for lowering cholesterol and triglyceride; cholesterol absorption inhibitors (Cholestyramine and Colestipol); fibrates and niacins, and the like. Though the above medicines possess hypolipidemic effects, they have serious side effects as well. Therefore, there exists a need for hypolipidemic medicines with high effects and low side effects from Chinese traditional medicines, which are in great significance to the society.
The medicinal plant: peony (Paeoniae Radix), belonging to the plant in Ranunculus family, is generally selected from Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Paeonia veitchii Lynch., Paeonia obovata Maxim., Paeonia mairei Levl., Paeonia anomala L., with dry roots thereof being used. Their names are red peony (Paeoniae Radix Rubra), white peony (Paeoniae Radix Alba) respectively, charaterized by bitter in flavor, slight cold in nature, and entry into the liver channel. They can cool the blood, dissipate stasis and alleviate pain. It can be applied to the subjects suffering from warm toxin macular eruption, blood ejection and spontaneous external bleeding, sore red swollen eyes, liver depression rid-side pain, amenorrhvea and dysmenorrheal, abdominal mass and bellyache, knocks and falls, swelling and toxin of welling abscess and flat. Li jiakang and Jiao yang (“The effect of the radix paeoniae rubra injection on the level of blood fat in patients suffering from stoke after acupoint injected”, Chinese Acupuncture 9:429-430(1999)) describes a radix paeoniae rubra injection, when acupoint injected can modulate the level of blood fat. However, its pharmacological mechanism remains unknown and there is a need for further research.
Codonopsis (Cidibiosutus Radix) belongs to the dry root of Platycodon family plant: Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.)Nannf., Codonopsis Pilosula Nannf. var. modesta(Nannf.)L. T Shen, or Codonopsis tangshen Oliv., charaterized by sweet in flavor, neutral in nature and entry into the spleen and liver channel. It can supplement the centre and boost qi, fortify the spleen and boost lung, and could be applied to the subjects suffering from spllen-lung vacuity, shortness of breath and palpitation, poor appetite and loose stool, asthenia-type dyspnea and cough, internal heat-syndrome and diabetes. It is reported that Codonopsis has hypolipidemic effect. (Shen dexin and Miao kecan, “the effectiveness observed of zhuwan in treatment of hyperlipemia”, LiaoNing Chinese Medicine Journal, 1:6-7(1980)).
Patent CN99102902.X, with title of invention “Healthy beverage for prevention and treatment of hypertension and hyperlipemia” describes healthy beverage for prevention and treatment of hypertension and hyperlipemia, which comprises extracts from Codonopsis, tangkuei (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), radix rehmanniae (Rehmanniae Radix Exsiccata seu Recens), ligusticum (Ligustici Rhizoma), red peony (Paeoniae Radix Rubra) and the like, totally 15 kinds of traditional Chinese medicines. Since these material is a combination of multiple Chinese medicines, it is difficult to sufficiently demonstrate the hypolipidemic effect of Codonopsis and peony. Currently, no report describes the composition comprising the mixture of Codonopsis and peony as main component having hypolipidemic activity.